Robo-chord



K. A. BOWEN ROBO-CHORD Sept. 12, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001'.. 26, 1948 l.../LBOzI/em w Q, 7 Q Q MWWMKNMN 5% ww INVENTOR ATTORNEYS of playingl chords in `of bars removably mounted on the frame, these Patented Sept. 12, 1950 ROBO-CHORD Kermit A. Bowen, La Mesa, Calif. Application October 2d, 1948, Serial No. 56,505

(o1. :a4-32o) `S Claims.

This invention relates to musical instruments,

and more particularly, has reference to a stringed instnument most closely resembling a Zither.

An important-object of the invention is to provide an instrument that will be a musical edu- 5 f cation in itself, executing-chord progression, and f5 will vividly portray the intervals, which make one chord diiier from another.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a device or instrument as described so designed as to enable anyone not familiar with $17 music to make all the chords in all the keys in rapid succession.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a device which will be an aid to the music students, in learning the chords.

Another important object is to provide a musical instrument of the character described which can be played with one hand, So that the melody may be played with the` other hand, or so that lsaid iree-'handrnay be usedfto follow werds or other indicia.

In its broader aspects, the invention includes a sound box in which are secured a plurality of strings, so that the instrument has the general appearance of a Zither; a trackway extending over the strings; a frame slidable in the trackway, so that it can be adjusted to different piositionsrelative to the strings for the purpose different keys; a plurality E bars being removable so that other bars may be substituted, and each bar having spaced depressions located over the particular string to be picked; and a pick specially formed to ride n. from end to end of a selected bar, and responsive to the depressions in the bar for the purpose of picking all the strings of a particular chord.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear the `description proceeds,

the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be elongated bars 2t. made in the construction and arrangement oil parts without` departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings Figure l is a top plan View of an instrument constructed in accordance with the invention, one Iend thereof being broken away.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective View sho-wing the removable mounting of the bars.

line 3-Zi of Fig, 1 showing the slidable mounting of theirame. c

. Figure i is a view partly in iront elevation and Aof the character described 15 PATENT OFFICE JAN se 1952 Figure 5 is a side elevatio a ew of said pick.

Referring to the drawings in detail, IE] is a sound box the design of which may obviously e varied, saidsound box having secured therein the/strings Il. In the illustrated example, the strings cover two octavos, and they are tuned chromatically. It will be understood that more or less strings can be used asfdesired.

Cross members E2 are mounted on the side walls of the sound boX l0, being secured xedly by fastening means I3. These cross members arc parallel, and provide a trackway for the rectangular frame generally rdesignated ifi, said frame comprising the end members `l5 and the side members I6, all fixedly joined to provide the frame.

vTo mount the frame slidably in the trackway, 1 form in the cross members l2 the grooves Ill (Figs. 1 and 3) that-extend'irom end to end of each cross member. Received in the grooves are the tongues i8 projecting from members i6 and the respective end members i5 of the frame, and thus the frame is slidably mounted in the trackway.

The purpose of slidably mounting the frame in the trackway is to permit the frame to be adjusted to various positions relative to the strings Il, so that the chords can be played in any selected key.` Once adjusted lto a selected position, the frame is left stationary during the use oi the device, until such time as it may be desired to change the key. g

To designate the key irl/which the chords will be played, I form on one of thek members It the index l5, that overlies one of the cross members l2, saidcross member l2 being marked with suitable indicia EE! to designate the various keys.

Thesame cross member i2 is also preferably marked with indicia Pil to number the strings, although said numbering .0f kthe strings is not of course critical to the invention.

Formed inthe opposed end members l5 are the .notchesor seats 22, felt paddedas at 23, and in the seats 22 are received the ends ofthe In the present instance, the device is illustrated as having sixteen of these bars, but morewor less of them can be used as desired. `.In any event, each bar has formed at selected spaced intervals the depressions 25, each depression or concavity 25 overlying a particular string Il. c

The particular bars may be designated by number asshown at 2t, the numerical marking of the bars being provided on one end member i5.

Or, and as shown at 2l, vtabs or cards can be Figure 3 is an enlarged section substantially on yused in association with each bar to designate the chord which is played by the use of that particular bar. y

The bars 24 can of course be substituted, and

partly in longitudinal section through a pick thus any composition can be played without leavas it appears when traversing one of the bars.

, ingout or substituting chords, it being necessary only that the player rst substitute for those bars already on the device other spare bars from a reserve rack, so that a particular composition can be played. Some of the bars, representing the main chords, can be fixed in position, rather than capable of substitution, so as to make the whole frame construction more rigid.

In use of the device a pick illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is employed. This has a handle 28, formed with the bore 29 in which is adapted to reciprocate the plunger 3U, that is spring pressed outwardly by spring 3| held under compression within the bore. Movement of the plunger in pposite directions is limited by provision of lug 32 on the plunger that rides in slots 33 of the handle.

One end of the plunger projects from the handle, and has secured to it the pick member 34, that tapers to a thin resilient end 35 adapted to pick a string Il.

Extended laterally from the pick member 34 is the cross pin 36, on the projecting end of which is rotatably mounted the rubber roller 3l that is adapted to ride upon a bar 24. i

The use of the device will now be readily understood. Assuming that the player intends to play the chords to a particular composition, he makes such substitution of bars 24 as may be necessary to represent all the chords of said composition. Then, following instructions written elsewhere as to which chords are to be played, the player starts at the left hand end of a selected bar 24, and with the roller 31 riding on the top of the bar, moves the pick to the right hand end 0f the bar. By doing so, roller 3l is caused to enter in succession all the depressions 25 of that particular bar. This causes the end 35 of the pick to be depressed each time the roller moves into a depression, whereupon the string l I under that depression is picked.

4 It is understood that before using the instrument at all for the purpose of playing a particular composition, the player may rst desire to sli-dably adjust the frame in its trackway s0 as to provide for the playing of the chords in a selected key.

What is claimed is:

1. In a stringed instrument the combination, with a set of strings, of a pluralityv of parallel bars extended thereacross, each bar representing a chord and having a depression disposed over each string to be played in sounding vsaid chord, and pick means adapted to traverse a -bar and to move into the depressions of a bar for lowering into engagement with the strings underlying the depression.

2. A stringed instrument as in claim 1, and said pick means including a roller adapted to ridei over a bar and through the depressions of thei' bar.

3. In a stringed instrument the combination, with a so'und box and a set of strings therein, of a frame supported by the sound box over the strings, means for adjusting the frame relative" to the strings to provide for key selection, a plurality of bars supported on the frame, each bar having spaced depressions overlying selected strings, and pick means adapted for rollable a trackway mounted on the sound box and extending across the strings, a frame slidably mounted in the trackway, a plurality of bars removably supported by the frame, each bar 5 having spaced depressions overlying selected traversing of a selected bar, said pick means adapted by movement into and :out of the depressions of a bar, to be lowered into engagement with the strings underlying the depression.

4. In a stringed instrument the combination,

with a sound box and a set of strings therein, of 1I strings, and pick means adapted to traverse selected bars and to move into and out of the depressions of the bar, for engaging selected strings.

5. In a stringed instnument the combination, with a set of strings, of bars extending thereacross, each bar representing a chord and having depressions spaced longitudinally thereof, said depressions adapted for lowering of a, pick moved along said means into engagement with selected strings to be sounded, and for elevation of the pick above strings not to be sounded.

6. In a stringed instrument the combination, with a sound box and a set of strings therein, of a frame supported upon the box and extending over the strings, a plurality of chord bars carried by the frame, each of which has spaced depressions in its upper surface overlying selected strings, and a pick adapted to be moved along the upper surface of a chord bar and to move into and out 0f the depressions for picking said selected strings.

7. In a stringed instrument the combination, with a sound box and a set of strings therein, of a pair of parallel cross members xedly mounted upon the box and extended transversely of the strings, an approximately rectangular frame slidably mounted upon the cross members for adjustment transversely of the strings, chord bars removably supported by the frame, each chord bar having spaced depressions in its upper surface, and a roller-mounted pick adapted to roll along the upper surface of a chord bar and to be lowered into engagement with selected o strings by movement into and outof the spaced depressions.

8. In a stringed instrument the combination, With a sound box and a set of strings therein, of a pair of parallel cross members xedly mounted upon the box and extended transversely of the strings, an approximately rectangular frame supported by the cross members for bodily adjustment transversely of the strings to selected positions, there being spaced seats formed in the ends of said frame, chord bars having their ends removably supported in the seats, each chord bar having spaced vdepressions in its upper surface, and a roller-mounted pick adapted to roll along the upper surface of a chord bar and to move into andY out of the depressions, for lowering `of the pick into engagement with strings underlying the depressions.

KERMIT A. BOWEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 480,750 Stark et a1. Aug. 16, 1892 609,897 Muller Aug. 30, 1898 1,097,048 Reynolds et al May 19, 1914 2,401,571 Konter June 4, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 11,529 Great Britain June 27, 1896 0f 1896 

